The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1900.

Waikato Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 544, 10 January 1900, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1900.

The news from South Africa which we published yesterday, and which is supplemented in this issue, must be taken to be on the whole satisfactory. The attempt to carry Ladysmith by assault was frustrated. The heliographic messages flashed by General White, however, go to show that he was at one time during the day’s fighting very hard pressed. He was of course vastly outnumbered, and some of the trenches were taken and retaken three factory to find that the Boers are unable to hold their own whenever they attack. General White, however, cannot be expected to hold out indefinitely. The enemy are in the position to attack with augmented forces time after time. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that General Bullcr should relieve the beleaguered town at the earliest possible moment. That this is likely to be a lengthy process is cause for anxiety. Experience has taught our Generals that it is madness to attack the Boers in their selected positions with infantry, and such is the length of their lines and the nature of the country that our army is unable to take thorn in flank. This being so, General Buller is reported to be concentrating his artillery fire upon two or three of these positions, with the object no doubt of breaking through their lines. The vigour thrown into the soige of Ladysmith is indicative that the Boor Commanders recognise that the advance of General Buller cannot be

much longer delayed. His inactivity, a cable informs us, is attributed in England to incomplete transport and lack of concentration. Kimberley ~ is still beleagueed and General Methuen appears to be unable to advance to its relief. He possibly is also hampered f t om want of transport facilities.

Mafeking is still without assn tance. Taken altogether the posi tion is not cheering. Our generals have a very difficult task before them, for they are figh'ing an active and resourceful enemy, whose plan of campaign has been decided upon years back, after consultation with the best generals in Europe. That we shall eventually conquer, there can be no doubt, notwithstanding that the enemy is being daily reinforced by soldiers of fortune, of all nationalities. The entrenched positions, held by the Boers make the war a tedious one, but when we have once got them out of their fortified positions, the process of completing their defeat will be an easy matter. Results have confirmed the opinion, that with modern weapons, the attacking party requires to be three times greater than that acting on the defence.